The simulated hospital environment: a qualitative study applying space industry techniques.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Simulation
• Medical Training

Background:

• New graduate nurses often face challenges transitioning from academic settings to clinical practice.
• Existing training methods may not adequately prepare nurses for the complexities of real-world hospital environments.
• The space industry's integrated simulation approach offers a potential model for enhancing healthcare training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt space industry simulation techniques for developing a realistic, continuous simulated hospital environment in nursing education.
• To evaluate the participant experience of an integrated simulation among undergraduate and graduate nursing students and faculty.
• To identify key learning outcomes and challenges within the simulated hospital setting.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative mixed-methods design.
• Data collection through participant focus groups, debriefing sessions, researcher field notes, and electronic health record documentation.
• Involved 72 participants: 12 baccalaureate students and 60 graduate nurse practitioner students acting as patients and providers.

Main Results:

• Successfully developed a true-to-life simulated hospital environment.
• A significant knowledge-practice gap among student participants emerged as a primary theme.
• The simulation provided valuable insights into the practical challenges faced by new graduate nurses.

Conclusions:

• The integrated simulation approach is effective in creating realistic training environments for nursing.
• The identified knowledge-practice gap aligns with employer concerns regarding new graduate nurse preparedness.
• Further development of simulation-based training is crucial for bridging the gap between nursing education and clinical practice.